Meet Dr. Rachel Park

For nearly 30 years, Dr. Rachel Park has dedicated her career to caring for others—from critically injured service members to patients seeking a more holistic path toward health and healing.

A retired U.S. Army Nurse Corps officer, Dr. Park began her career in Western medicine, serving for many years in critical care and trauma nursing. As a Trauma ICU nurse, she had the privilege of caring for our nation’s wounded warriors on the battlefield and during the critical period immediately following injury. Those experiences shaped not only the clinician she became, but also her understanding that the effects of pain and trauma can remain long after physical wounds have healed.

Dr. Park earned her Master of Science in Nursing from Duke University as a Clinical Nurse Specialist. During her military career, she served as Director of the Army Nurse Corps Critical Care Nursing Course, educating and preparing nurses to care for critically ill and injured patients in intensive care and emergency settings. She later served as an Executive Nurse before retiring from military service.

After retirement, Dr. Park felt called to continue her journey in healthcare from a different perspective. Using her Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, she pursued advanced education in acupuncture and herbal medicine and earned her Doctor of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine from Virginia University of Integrative Medicine. She is board certified in acupuncture through the National Certification Board for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (NCBAHM) and is licensed to practice acupuncture in Virginia and Maryland.

Her education has also taken her beyond the classroom. Dr. Park completed clinical training through Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, gaining experience caring for both inpatient and outpatient populations. Her additional training includes cancer care support through Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and facial microneedling.

From Battlefield Care to Whole-Person Healing

Dr. Park’s experiences caring for wounded service members continue to influence the way she practices today. She has a particular heart for veterans and others living with chronic pain, stress, and the lasting effects of trauma and PTSD.

Her approach recognizes that healing involves more than treating symptoms. By integrating nearly three decades of Western medical and nursing experience with acupuncture, herbal medicine, and the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dr. Park seeks to understand each patient as a whole person—body, mind, and spirit.

Her Christian faith is foundational to her philosophy of care and inspires her commitment to serve every patient with compassion, dignity, humility, and respect. She believes healthcare is both a responsibility and an opportunity to care for others with excellence.

For Dr. Park, acupuncture represents a continuation of the same mission that began during her nursing and military career: to serve, to care, and to help people find a path toward healing and restoration.